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Self-Reported Zoom Exhaustion and Fatigue Levels among Physical Education Teacher Education Students in a State University in the Philippines

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Abstract

The study determined the self-reported Zoom exhaustion and fatigue (ZEF) levels of physical education teacher education (PETE) students in the Philippines who are attending a flexible learning setup (i.e., synchronous and asynchronous learning) offered by their university as a solution to continue classes during the coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic. Utilizing a cross-sectional comparative research design, the study indicates that PETE students were very tired and exhausted both in general and visually after a series of video conferencing within a semester. Furthermore, they were socially-, motivationally-, and emotionally-moderately tired and exhausted. It was observed that students in the PETE program experienced moderate to very tired and exhausted levels of fatigue whenever they participated in synchronous online classes, such as attendance at a video teleconferencing platform. Exploration of how specific mental aspects relate to their general health with regard to their culture and habits is worth exploring, either for students, teachers, or professionals in general.
ERIES Journal
volume 17 issue 3
Printed ISSN
2336-2375
205
Electronic ISSN
1803-1617





ABSTRACT
            

            
    

    
           
 


 

KEYWORDS
Self-reported, Zoom exhauson and fague, synchronous and asynchronous learning, teacher
educaon students
HOW TO CITE
             

 Journal on Eciency and Responsibility in Educaon and Science  

Julius Ceazar G. Tolenno
John Paul P. Miranda*


* 
Arcle history
Received

Received in revised form

Accepted

Available on-line

Highlights
PETE students experienced moderate to very high levels of fague, especially during synchronous online classes, with
visual fague being the most reported issue.
Visual fague was linked to extended exposure to devices used for aending virtual classes and contributes to students’
exhauson.
Male PETE students exhibited higher level of exhauson compared to their female counterpart.
INTRODUCTION
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19 pandemic) has posed
multiple challenges in a plethora of sectors all around the world.
The education sector is no exception, as this was massively
aected by the global health crisis. For this reason, a major
paradigm shift in the delivery of instruction to learners worldwide
prompted educational leaders to take armative actions and,
therefore, requires solutions that would enable the continuity
of learning. While closures of educational institutions were
frequent at the height of the pandemic, transitioning to a distance
learning approach was deemed necessary.
The transition from a traditional classroom setting to a virtual
learning modality has led to the utilization of existing and
emerging technologies that may essentially provide solutions
to connect to learners and continuously deliver instruction
(Henritius et al., 2019). With this, the use of video conferencing
platforms, for one, became a common means to teach learners
synchronously despite location or time zone dierences. This
allows students and teachers to communicate in real-time,
various ways of teaching can be administered, and learning
can ultimately occur (Rasouli et al., 2020). For instance,
the utilization and support of Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Cisco
Webex, and Google Meet, among others, often create lively
and interactive learning environments even in a virtual world
(Iannizzotto et al., 2020). Furthermore, these educational
application tools generate a more feasible and viable method to
Full research paper
Printed ISSN
2336-2375
206 ERIES Journal
volume 17 issue 3
Electronic ISSN
1803-1617
continuously pursue education amidst the challenges brought by
the global health crisis.
However, despite the advantageous reasons for the use of
video conferencing tools for teaching and learning, scholars
started to investigate an emerging phenomenon of possible
fatigue or exhaustion caused by periodic attendance to virtual
meetings, which is referred to in contemporary studies as
video conferencing or Zoom fatigue (Fauville et al., 2021).
The need to investigate this phenomenon, particularly among
college students, is of vital interest to consider mechanisms that
would lead to the more eective delivery of learning processes
that will not compromise their welfare in terms of emotional,
mental, social, and general states. Looking into this dimension
of learning in a virtual ecology would lead to a well-structured
learning plan that is armative of students’ needs and will
maximize learning outcomes.
LITERATURE REVIEW
COVID-19, Remote Learning, and Videocon-
ferencing in Higher Education
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many educational
institutions shifted from in-person to online learning (Alvarez,
Abel, 2020; K. A. Bird et al., 2022; Lim et al., 2022). As
mentioned by Rotas and Cahapay (2020), the impact of
COVID-19 on online and remote learning, in general, is
substantial. Bird et al. (2022) suggested that teachers with
a considerable amount of teaching experience with the same
course for a long time do not even mitigate the negative eects
of this sudden shift to virtual learning. the pandemic has brought
the need for more video calls for learning or work-related
matters. Studies conducted in 2021 found that the increase in
screen time during the pandemic was signicantly higher than
before (Ganne et al., 2021; Pandya & Lodha, 2021).
Meanwhile, Asurion (2019) reported that, on average,
Americans check their devices, particularly smartphones,
96 times a day - a 20% increase even before the pandemic
occurred. Onn the other hand, Filipinos spent at least 10 hours
and two minutes daily in 2019, mostly browsing the Internet or
visiting social media platforms (Gonzales, 2019; Balita, 2024).
In another study, Nagata et al. (2022) reported that screen time
among children has doubled during the pandemic as most of
them rely on their devices to conduct various activities (e.g.,
entertainment, socialization, and education). Similar ndings
have also shown a drastic increase in total screen time during
the pandemic (Pandya & Lodha, 2021). This is alarming,
partly because it was reported that an increase in screen time
often leads to higher eye strain among students, particularly
those attending online classes (Ganne et al., 2021; Sundarasen
et al., 2020). Moreover, increased screen time often negatively
impacts people’s physical and mental well-being (Pandya &
Lodha, 2021).
Remote learning adversely aects students and teachers in
general (Bautista et al., 2021). Rotas and Cahapay (2020)
mentioned that the sudden shift to online learning has also
impacted teachers. The uncertainty of when the pandemic will
end also increases anxiety in higher education (Jung et al.,
2021). These things are attributed to making online teaching
and learning even more challenging for both teachers and
students. Despite this, Bolatov et al. (2021) believed that
the shift to online learning not only helped to lessen the spread
of COVID-19 but also provided some positive benets to
the students’ mental health. This is supported by a recent study
indicating that medical students in Saudi Arabia received
the sudden shift to online learning (Khalil et al., 2020).
On the contrary, the abrupt shift from online to in-person
learning has been found to negatively aect student academic
performance (K. A. Bird et al., 2022).
Furthermore, Gonzales-Ramirez et al. (2021) claimed that
remote learning makes students more exhausted. They also
believed that it has far-reaching implications for the students,
both mentally and physically (Sundarasen et al., 2020). On
the other hand, Li et al. (2021) suggested that people’s life
satisfaction and mental health are also at risk when they
overuse social media and the internet to compensate for many
things they cannot do, especially during lockdowns (e.g., lack
of physical interaction).
Students’ Weariness Towards Online Learning
During the pandemic, there has been an increase in gadget usage
for both online learning and entertainment. This has caused
the prevalence of digital eye strain among students. This is
true particularly when they are compared to the general public
(Ganne et al., 2021). Moreover, students are sometimes tended
or forced to learn and are tempted to multitask despite attending
online classes (Alibudbud, 2021; Baticulon et al., 2021), mainly
when this is done at home (Baticulon et al., 2021).
Several studies have also indicated that barriers to online
learning also contribute to the physical and psychological state
of the students (Baticulon et al., 2021; Ortega et al., 2022;
Peper et al., 2021; Sundarasen et al., 2020). For example,
poor communication related to their schooling contributes to
the students’ weariness during the conduct of online classes
(Baticulon et al., 2021; Peper et al., 2021; Sundarasen et al.,
2020). Frustration due to the lack of necessities such as food,
conducive space, limited access to devices, and a reliable internet
connection is part of why students feel more exhausted than ever
(Alvarez, 2020; Baticulon et al., 2021; Rotas & Cahapay, 2020;
Sundarasen et al., 2020). Increased workload, and other activities
unrelated to learning were also seen to contribute or to students’
overall fatigue and exhaustion (Peper et al., 2021). Another issue
related to student weariness is that in an online learning setup,
students are most of the time forgotten or unable to do physical
activities they used to do in an in-person classroom setting.
Common physical activities that require movement, such as
walking, running, and standing, are considered important and
a usual part of a person’s daily life much more so with student
life. Peper and Lin reported in 2021 that students who do
physical activities signicantly increase their subjective energy
and increase their attention levels.
An increase in social isolation is also seen among students
during the period of online learning. It is perceived as one of
the contributing factors to student weariness (Li et al., 2021;
Peper et al., 2021). The lack of social interaction among
students, teachers, and with their peers often contributes to
their physical and mental exhaustion (Peper et al., 2021).
ERIES Journal
volume 17 issue 3
Printed ISSN
2336-2375
207
Electronic ISSN
1803-1617
In connection, De Oliveira Kubrusly Sobral et al. (2022)
found that students attending hybrid methodology tend
to have a higher frequency of wanting to be alone after
attending a video conference. Furthermore, it was found
in the study by Martínez-Líbano et al. (2021) that Chilean
social science students’ exhaustion during the COVID-19
pandemic showed that their study stipulates that the students
had higher levels of exhaustion and believed that their mental
health deteriorated during the pandemic. The abrupt shift to
online learning makes burnout and other negative mental
symptoms prevalent among students (Bolatov et al., 2021).
Other challenges that contribute to this phenomenon include
pressure to concentrate during attendance to online learning
while the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing (Peper
et al., 2021), overloaded activities (Rotas & Cahapay, 2020),
and lack of control over various issues (i.e., technical issues)
related to online learning (Peper et al., 2021).
Despite this, several studies have recommended countering
student weariness in online learning. For example, Alibudbud
(2021) suggested that regular breaks and avoiding multitasking
are necessary to prevent burnout when attending online learning
and to improve concentration among students attending such
classes. Furthermore, limiting screen time is also a good option to
potentially address this issue (Ganne et al., 2021). Alternatively,
Räisänen et al. (2018) believed that identifying students’ proles
is imperative to help students who need support in their learning.
The key ndings in their study, for example, suggested that
students who already have self-regulated problems paired with
high levels of peer learning and peer support tend to have higher
study-related exhaustion. Another option is the intervention that
lawmakers and policymakers can provide to address this issue,
which is crucial (Ganne et al., 2021). Their intervention is needed
as the challenges and problems related to student weariness may
persist even after the pandemic subsides (De Oliveira Kubrusly
Sobral et al., 2022).
In light of existing literature and studies, there is a need to
further expand the knowledge on how students, particularly
those who specialize in a movement-dominated discipline
like physical education in the Philippines, perceive and assess
their levels of exhaustion in multiple spectra of fatigue when
attending classes via a video teleconferencing platform.
This research documented the fatigue levels of pre-service
physical educators in a Philippine-based public university and
determined whether constructs underlying this emerging type
of fatigue in contemporary times had statistically signicant
dierences when their demographic proles were considered.
The study was an attempt to uncover this phenomenon, which
may eventually serve as a data-driven and empirical basis
for developing appropriate modalities for students, either in
distance or blended learning. Through this, more proactive and
tangible programs for curriculum delivery and instruction may
be institutionalized toward a well-rounded learning experience
for pre-service teachers in physical education.
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
The theoretical framework of this study explores the potential
interconnections between sex, class level, and Zoom exhaustion
and fatigue (ZEF), aiming to shed light on their collective
inuence. Incorporating sex and class-level variables into
the study objectives serves to address a pivotal research context.
Existing literature has indicated that various demographic
factors, including sex and class level (Dacillo et al., 2022;
Purba et al., 2022; Fauville et al., 2023; Oducado et al., 2022;
Salim et al., 2022; Usta Kara & Esroy, 2022), could contribute
to shaping individuals’ experiences of ZEF. Notably, gender
has been implicated in Zoom-related fatigue studies (George
et al., 2022; Ratan et al., 2021; Shockley et al., 2021). Emerging
research also suggests potential disparities in how individuals
perceive and navigate challenges within online interactions
based on these factors (Dacillo et al., 2022; Purba et al., 2022;
Ratan et al., 2021; Usta Kara & Esroy, 2022). In the context
of the rapid expansion of virtual communication platforms
like Zoom, comprehending the intersections between these
variables and ZEF holds substantial academic and practical
signicance. This study, by delving into the potential impacts
of sex and class level on ZEF, particularly among students
engaged in active tasks, seeks to contribute to a nuanced
comprehension of the intricate dynamics underpinning
individuals’ fatigue during virtual engagements.
This investigation into the potential eects of ZEF, particularly
in educational settings, based on sex and class level could oer
a more comprehensive understanding of its impact on individual
students. Both sex and class level may exert inuence by shaping
students’ experiences, stressors, coping mechanisms, and
overall mental well-being. Research has suggested sex-based
variations in coping mechanisms among students (Christiansen
et al., 2022; Grace, 2019; Graves et al., 2021; Mahmoud et al.,
2015; Scott-Young et al., 2020), potentially leading to dierent
manifestations of fatigue and stress. As men and women are
distinct in their psychological makeup and socialization patterns,
societal expectations may engender divergent responses (L.
J. Bird et al., 2023; Cislaghi & Heise, 2020; Ellemers, 2018;
Grace, 2019; Newsome et al., 2016). Class-level, likewise, has
been linked to varying workloads and expectations that could
contribute to Zoom-related fatigue (Bare et al., 2023; Bird
et al., 2023; Grace, 2019; Labrague, 2013; Rotas & Cahapay,
2020). For instance, earlier studies underscore that rst-year
students grappling with a transition phase and novel learning
environments may necessitate greater support (Blair, 2016;
Honkimäki & Kálmán, 2012; Mahmoud et al., 2015; Maymon et
al., 2019; Meehan & Howells, 2018; Nyar, 2021). Concurrently,
class-level disparities may correlate with Zoom-related fatigue,
as students at dierent academic stages may possess distinct
focuses, possibly impacting susceptibility to burnout, fatigue,
stress, and related outcomes (Bird et al., 2023; Little et al., 2021;
Mahmoud et al., 2015; Nyar, 2021).
AIMS OF THE STUDY
The researchers aimed to report the levels of ZEF as perceived
by students in a pre-service teacher education (PETE) institution
situated in a state university in Pampanga, Philippines.
Specically, the following research questions were answered:
1. How may the self-reported levels of ZEF among PETE
students be described in terms of (a) emotional fatigue,
(b) motivational fatigue, (c) social fatigue, (d) visual
fatigue, and (e) general fatigue?
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2. Are there statistically signicant dierences in
the individual ZEF levels of the respondents when
grouped according to their sexes and class level?
METHODOLOGY
Research Design
The study adopted a comparative cross-sectional survey design
to collect data on the self-reported levels of ZEF among PETE
students. A cross-sectional approach allows for collecting data
from multiple respondents at a single point in time, providing
a snapshot of their experiences in a particular phenomenon,
the Zoom exhaustion fatigue in this context. Apart from
the descriptive nature of the design, it particularly centred on
establishing a thorough analysis of the dierences in the ZEF
levels of PETE students when grouped according to their sex
and class levels.
Respondents
The study was conducted in a teacher education institution in
a public university in Pampanga, Philippines. For the whole
academic year 2021 - 2022, the university oered full online
learning, particularly employing a combination of synchronous
and asynchronous sessions as a modality to deliver lecture
and laboratory courses. The courses are oered either as
a three-hour lecture or as a ve-hour laboratory. There were
37,398 students in the whole university enrolled at the time
of the study. The study utilized a purposive random sampling
technique among 555 students enrolled in the physical
education teacher education program. The said student groups
are of interest as their program demands actual and physical
demonstration of skills, which may seem to be challenging
in a virtual context. Using the list provided by the university,
with a 99% condence level and a ve percent margin of error,
a minimum of 303 respondents are needed for the study. To
reduce the attrition, 350 prospective respondents were invited
to answer the short electronic and self-administered survey
sent to their respective institutional email accounts the day
before the end of the academic year to immediately assess
their perceived fatigue level concerning the online modality
employed for their learning.
Respondents’ Demographics
As seen in Table 1, 303 respondents were included in the study.
Their age ranged from 19 to 21 years old. Based on the total
respondents, 196 are females (64.7%), and 107 are males
(35.3%). Furthermore, almost a third of them are either rst-
year (n = 94) or fourth-year students (n = 92).
Variables Frequency Percentage
Age (mean ± SD) 20 ± 1.626
Sex
Male 107 35.3%
Female 196 64.7%
Year Level
First Year 94 31.0%
Second Year 61 20.1%
Third Year 56 18.5%
Fourth Year 92 30.4%
TOTAL 303 100.0%
Table 1: Respondent’s prole
As illustrated in Figure 1, 40% of the respondents participated
in a video conference about once a day before the conduct
of this study (n = 124). Furthermore, roughly a third of
the respondents said their average daily participation in
video conferences was at least once a day. More than
half said these video conferences lasted over an hour
(Figure 2). Meanwhile, when respondents were asked about
the average interval between each video conference within
the day, a third of them mentioned that the gap was more
than an hour (Figure 2).
Figure 1: Average length (le) of each video conference, including their interval (right)
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Instrument
The primary instrument utilized in this study was the Zoom
Exhaustion and Fatigue (ZEF) scale, developed by Fauville
et al. (2021). No modications were made to the instrument,
and it was utilized without any translation, validity checks,
or additional reliability testing for this particular study.
The instrument’s prior validation and reliability testing by
Fauville provided a foundation for its applicability. Within
the context of this study, ZEF denoted the fatigue arising from
frequent participation in videoconferencing, regardless of
the platform. This 15-item instrument was structured around
ve distinct dimensions: general, visual, social, motivational,
and emotional aspects. Each dimension encompassed three
questions, yielding a total of 15 items. The ZEF utilized
English as a medium of instruction in its administration
(hence, translation was no longer needed). This is applicable
in the context of the Philippines because English is one of
the country’s two ocial languages by virtue of the 1987
Constitution (along with Filipino), which is deemed used
for “purposes of communication and instruction,” and this
cascades from basic to higher education.
The dimensions of the ZEF instrument were crafted to
evaluate various dimensions of exhaustion and fatigue
specically attributed to Zoom interactions. The instrument’s
reliability was substantiated by Fauville et al. (2021), who
reported robust indices such as Cronbach’s alpha (ranging
from .82 to .90) and composite reliability (ranging from .83
to .90). These indices surpassed the conventional threshold
of .70, underscoring the instrument’s dependable reliability.
The collected data underwent analysis to extract meaningful
insights. Descriptive statistics, including mean, standard
deviation, and percentage, were computed to provide
an overview of the data distribution. A normality test was
conducted to ascertain the data’s adherence to normal
distribution utilizing IBM Statistical Package for Social
Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0. Subsequently, non-parametric
tests were applied, specically the Mann-Whitney and
Kruskal-Wallis tests. These tests were selected to explore
potential variations in the self-reported ZEF levels based
on two variables: respondents’ sex and class level. These
non-parametric tests were chosen due to the distribution
characteristics of the ZEF data. The interpretation of
the analysis outcomes drew upon the insights provided by
Table 2. This table detailed the Likert scale employed, its
corresponding range, and the verbal interpretation associated
with each mean score.
Figure 2: Overall (le) and daily average (right) parcipaon in video conferences
Scale Range Value Verbal Interpretaon
5 4.50 - 5.00 Extremely red and exhausted
4 3.50 - 4.49 Very red and exhausted
3 2.50 - 3.49 Moderately red and exhausted
2 1.50 - 2.49 Slightly red and exhausted
1 1.00 - 1.49 Not at all red and exhausted
Table 2: Five-point Likert rang scale and its interpretaon
Ethical Considerations
All respondents were assured that they could discontinue
answering the survey at any given time and that all the data
collected from them were strictly condential and solely
intended for this study. Furthermore, all the data will be
destroyed one year after the study is conducted in compliance
with the existing data privacy laws in the Philippines.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Self-reported Levels of ZEF among PETE Students
This study examined the self-reported ZEF levels of PETE
students attending synchronous and asynchronous classes in
a public university in the Philippines. The results indicated
that students are mostly exhausted across ZEF constructs
(i.e., general, visual, motivational, social, and emotional).
Figure 5 indicates the respondents’ ZEF-reported levels.
It shows that PETE students are very tired and exhausted
both in the general sense (x
= 3.50, SD = 0.97) and visually
(x
= 3.64, SD = 0.99) after a series of video conferencing
within a semester. Furthermore, PETE students are
moderately tired and exhausted in terms of social (x
= 3.45,
SD = 0.93), motivational (x
= 3.47, SD = 0.92), and emotional
(x
= 3.31, SD = 0.99) domains. This is consistent with De
Oliveira Kubrusly Sobral et al. (2022) ndings, where half
of the students surveyed experienced Zoom fatigue. Another
reason for this fatigue is because of higher screen time among
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students, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when
most students rely on their devices to do almost everything
(Nagata et al., 2022). This is supported by previous studies
where they posited that this kind of fatigue will persist even
after the pandemic (De Oliveira Kubrusly Sobral et al.,
2022; Nagata et al., 2022). Several studies have oered some
kind of treatment to solve this. For one, Alibudbud (2021)
recommended that regularly providing a short break every
thirty minutes and avoiding multitasking while attending
online classes can improve student concentration. This is
supported by previous studies indicating that performing some
physical activities, even for a minute, can increase positive
mental well-being (Peper et al., 2021). Moreover, revisiting
and revising the course activities and outcomes to adjust these
recommendations are necessary to avoid student burnout
(Alibudbud, 2021). In addition, lifestyle modication and
self-imposed limitations to the use of digital media are seen to
have positive eects on better health and well-being (Ganne et
al., 2021; Li et al., 2021; Pandya & Lodha, 2021). Providing
adequate support to teachers and promoting mental health
training are also seen as important factors in fostering a healthy
school environment. This intervention is seen to have a direct
and indirect impact on reducing fatigue and exhaustion among
students (Alibudbud, 2021; Bautista et al., 2021).
Figure 3: Self-reported levels of ZEF among PETE students
Table 3 shows that there are no statistically signicant
dierences in the self-reported individual ZEF levels of
PETE students when grouped according to their sex and
year level. All PETE students’ self-reported ZEF levels
when grouped according to sex are the same in terms of
their general (U = 10,263.5; p = 0.757), visual (U = 9,287.5;
p = 0.097), social (U = 9,442; p = 0.149), motivational
(U = 9,288; p = 0.097), and emotional exhaustion and
fatigue (U = 9,160; p = 0.067). This is contrary to previous
results by other studies that suggest women, in particular,
have higher levels of Zoom-related fatigue and exhaustion
compared to their counterparts (Purba et al., 2022; Fauville
et al., 2023; Oducado et al., 2022; Usta Kara & Esroy,
2022). When grouped according to their year level, PETE
students also reported higher levels of general (x2 = 5.975;
p = 0.113), visual (x2 = 3.652; p = 0.302), social (x2 = 0.231;
p = 0.972), motivational (x2 = 3.753; p = 0.289), and
emotional exhaustion and fatigue (x2 = 2.088; p = 0.554).
ZEF by sex (df = 1)
General Visual Social Movaonal Emoonal
Mann-Whitney U10,263.5 9,287.5 9,442.0 9,288.0 9,160.0
p Value 0.757 0.097 0.149 0.097 0.067
Z Score -0.309 -1.660 -1.444 -1.659 -1.834
ZEF by Year Level (df = 3)
Kruskal-Wallis H (x2) 5.975 3.652 0.231 3.753 2.088
p Value 0.113 0.302 0.972 0.289 0.554
Table 3: Test of dierence on PETE student’s zoom fague
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The study was conceived to assess the physical education
teacher education students’ self-reported ZEF levels and
determine whether dierences exist between males and
females and the class level they were in at the time of
the study. It was concluded that by and large, students in
the PETE program experienced moderate to very tired and
exhausting levels of fatigue whenever they participated in
synchronous online classes, such as attendance to a video
teleconferencing platform. Evidence derived from the study
also indicated visual fatigue with the highest mean score,
indicating that students feel very tired or exhausted when
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their eyes are exposed to a certain extent in the device they
use to attend virtual synchronous classes. This is coherent
with the ndings of other studies that other than attending
virtual classes, students are also exposed to extended periods
as they usually use their devices for many things other than
learning (e.g., socialization and entertainment).
The ndings of this study may have direct implications for
the physical education teacher education program and, therefore,
cannot be generalized to other teacher education students.
The context may vary, considering that PETE students have
relatively more movement-based courses than the other education
programs, given the nature of physical education as a performance-
based program. Methodologically, the context was also limited
to the fact that the cross-sectional survey was facilitated as
a design of the study. While the design may establish comparisons
between variables, it cannot determine causality associated with
the phenomenon. Moreover, it cannot track temporal changes
since the data collection was limited to a specic point in time
only, particularly at the height of the pandemic. At the same time,
classes were transitioned to full online modality. Also, cohort
eects were likewise viewed as potential confounding variables
that were not included in the study as age-associated dierences,
because of historical and social contexts, may inuence changes
in the results, hence making the results particular to the context of
the PETE program only.
Many aspects of the ZEF still need further exploration. For
example, due to the late implementation and resumption
of online learning in the Philippines, many previous studies
conducted might not apply to the country, not to mention
that the country has very dierent economic, infrastructural,
and cultural aspects that can also aect the ZEF levels of
the students. Moreover, the country also implemented a very
dierent and more exible type of learning that tried to
accommodate all types of learners. The same might be true
when similar studies are conducted on teachers in dierent
regions of the country. Further studies are also warranted to
understand how ZEF aects teachers, particularly in those in
public and private schools. An exploration of how specic
mental aspects relate to their general health with regard to
their culture and habits is worth exploring, either for students,
teachers, or professionals in general.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This study was supported by the author’s individual aliations.
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